• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2005

Objectives : Acupuncture has been used as treatment of disease in the korean medicine. In this study, it was investigated that effects of reduction of acupuncture techniques of five evolutive phase for appling excess in the heart, kidney on cardiovascular system as blood pressure and renin and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in plasma, cardiac hypertrophy. Materials and methods : The experiments were performed on Sprague Dawley rats, 2K1C hypertension model was prepared by constricting the left renal artery with a sliver clip. Animals were then divided into seven groups, 2K1C induced and no treated group (Control), acupuncture on SP3 HT7(AC-1), LR1 KI1 (AC-2), SP3 HT7 LR1 KI1 (AC-3). The treatments were performed once a day for 10 days in rats. Results : The results are that the blood pressure was significantly decreased at 15days in AC-1 group. The cardiac hypertrophy was significantly decrease in AC-3 group. The activity of plasma ANP was increased in all groups without AC-1 group and the that of plasma Rein was decrease in AC-1, AC-2 groups than control group. Conclusions : These results suggest that acupuncture at SP3 HT7 and SP3 HT7 LR1 KI1 can be used as a therapy for controlling renal hypertension induced by 2K1C in the rats.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2020

Objectives : Mitochondria are typically known as intracellular double membrane-bound structures that supply energy for intracellular metabolism including Krebs cycle and beta-oxidation. Also, acupuncture has been known to stimulate the flow of energy. To explore the effect of acupuncture on the mitochondrial respiratory chain activities in rat's heart and kidneys, the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I to IV were observed. Methods : The rats were divided into 11 groups; Normal (no acupuncture treatment and under anesthesia for 10 min), heart meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at HT9, HT8, HT7, HT4 and HT3 under anesthesia for 10 min), and kidney meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at KI1, KI2, KI3, KI7 and KI10 under anesthesia for 10 min). All rats were sacrificed and the heart and kidneys were examined for the changes of respiratory chain activities. Results : Acupuncture at HT7 increased the activity of succinate dehydrogenase; acupuncture at KI2 increased the activity of ubiquinol cytochrome C oxidoreductase; and acupuncture at HT9, HT8, HT3 and KI1 increased activities of cytochrome C oxidase. Conclusions : Acupuncture assists mitochondrial repiratory chain activity via the Cytochrome C oxidase signaling pathway in heart and kidney of rats.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.7-15
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• 2013

Objectives : Interruption and subsequent restoration of blood flow into the kidney result in renal injury. As an approach to preventing the renal injury, we determined the optimal conditions and the underlying mechanisms by which supernatant of hot water extract of ground Triticum aestivum L. (extract) attenuated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods : One hour after administration of the extract (400 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection, renal I/R injury was generated by clamping the left renal artery in rats after surgical removal of the right kidney, followed by reperfusion. The maximal difference between the vehicle-treated and the extract-treated group under ketamine/xylazine or enflurane anesthetization was assessed at varying periods of ischemia (30-45 min) and reperfusion (3-48 hr), based on the renal function assessed with serum creatinine levels, tissue injury with hematoxylin/eosin staining, and apoptosis with terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining. Results : Enflurane anesthetization with 40 min of ischemia and 24 hr of reperfusion was identified to be the optimal condition, under which condition serum creatinine levels and tubular damage in the extract-treated group were significantly reduced compared with those in the vehicle-treated group ($1.3{\pm}0.2$ versus $2.7{\pm}0.3$ mg/dL, P < 0.01, and average score $1.8{\pm}0.1$ versus $3.5{\pm}0.3$, P < 0.01, respectively). These beneficial effects were mediated by inhibition of apoptotic cascades through attenuation of renal tissue malondialdehyde levels, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 levels. Conclusions : The extract conferred renal protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by scavenging reactive oxygen species and consequently blocking apoptotic cascades, plausibly augmented by enflurane protection.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the change in signal sensitivity over different acquisition start times and optimize the scanning window to provide the maximal signal sensitivity of [1-¹³C]pyruvate and its metabolic products, lactate and alanine, using spatially localized hyperpolarized 3D ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). Materials and Methods: We acquired 3D ¹³C MRSI data from the brain (n = 3), kidney (n = 3), and liver (n = 3) of rats using a 3T clinical scanner and a custom RF coil after the injection of hyperpolarized [1-¹³C]pyruvate. For each organ, we obtained three consecutive 3D ¹³C MRSI datasets with different acquisition start times per animal from a total of three animals. The mean signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of pyruvate, lactate, and alanine were calculated and compared between different acquisition start times. Based on the SNRs of lactate and alanine, we identified the optimal acquisition start timing for each organ. Results: For the brain, the acquisition start time of 18 s provided the highest mean SNR of lactate. At 18 s, however, the lactate signal predominantly originated from not the brain, but the blood vessels; therefore, the acquisition start time of 22 s was recommended for 3D ¹³C MRSI of the rat brain. For the kidney, all three metabolites demonstrated the highest mean SNR at the acquisition start time of 32 s. Similarly, the acquisition start time of 22 s provided the highest SNRs for all three metabolites in the liver. Conclusion: In this study, the acquisition start timing was optimized in an attempt to maximize metabolic signals in hyperpolarized 3D ¹³C MRSI examination with [1-¹³C] pyruvate as a substrate. We investigated the changes in metabolic signal sensitivity in the brain, kidney, and liver of rats to establish the optimal acquisition start time for each organ. We expect the results from this study to be of help in future studies.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2022

Objective: Asafoetida is a gum derived from Ferula assa-foetida, which is used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat some reproductive system disorders. The effects of asafoetida on ovarian tissue, expression of certain genes associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and levels of liver, kidney, and blood cell factors after treatment in a rat model were investigated. Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups: normal, polycystic, and treatment with three doses of asafoetida (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg for 3 weeks after PCOS induction). PCOS was induced by letrozole at a dose of 1 mg/kg administered orally for 3 weeks. Blood samples were taken, and the ovaries were removed and prepared for histomorphometric examination. Liver and kidney parameters were measured. The mRNA expression levels of luteinizing hormone receptor, CYP11A1, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, adiponectin, and adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 were also measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The levels of liver, kidney, and blood parameters did not significantly differ between the treatment groups and the control group. At doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg, ovarian histopathology, especially the thicknesses of the theca and granulosa layers, was significantly improved relative to the PCOS group. The expression of target genes also improved in the 25 and 50 mg/kg treatment groups. Conclusion: Asafoetida can be used to treat PCOS as a complementary approach to conventional therapies. Asafoetida appears to act by regulating and activating metabolic and ovarian cycle enzymes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.489-496
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetes on insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs), and IGF-I carrier proteins in serum, liver, and kidney. The levels of total and free IGF-I were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The patterns of IGFBPs were determined by western ligand blotting (WLB) analysis. The profiles of IGF-I carrier proteins in serum were determined by column chromatography. The levels of total and free IGF-I in serum were lower in STZ-induced diabetic rat than normal rat (p<0.01). Similarly, the levels of total IGF-I in liver was lowered in STZ-induced diabetic rats. On the other hand, the levels of total IGF-I in kidney were increased in STZ-induced diabetic rats compared with normal rats (p<0.01). In serum and liver from STZ-induced diabetic rats, the amount of IGFBP-3 was decreased and the amount of IGFBP-2 was increased compared with normal rats. There was a not difference in amount of IGFBP-4 in serum between STZ-induced diabetic rats and normal rats. The serums of normal rats have higher 150kDa carrier proteins than in STZ-induced diabetic rats, whereas, most of 50kDa carrier proteins were found in STZ-induced diabetic rats. These results demonstrate that in STZ-induced diabetic rats, IGF-I/IGFBPs system that included functional bioactivity was changed in serum as well as tissues, and these changes may play an important role in pathogenesis of diabetes.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.370-378
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• 2019

The hepatic ischemic model has recently been widely used for the epidemiological study of ischemic reperfusion injury. This study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of vanillin, which is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, against hepatic and renal injury using an ischemia-reperfusion rat model, and we also investigated the mechanism related to vanillins' protective effect. The test material was administered at a concentration of 100 mg/kg for 3 days, followed by ligation of the liver for 60 minutes to induce ischemia reperfusion. As control groups, there was a negative control, sham control and ischemia-reperfusion-only ischemia reperfusion control, and the controls groups were compared with the drug administration group. In the vanillin group, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were significantly inhibited compared with the AST and ALT activities of the ischemia-reperfusion group, and histopathological examination showed significant reduction of both inflammation and necrosis. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were significantly different from the ischemia-reperfusion group. In conclusion, vanillin showed a hepatocyte protective action by alleviating the cellular inflammation and cell necrosis caused by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion, and vanillin mitigated inflammatory changes in the kidney glomeruli and distal tubules. The protective effect is considered to be caused by vanillin's antioxidant function. Further studies such as on cell death and possibly vanillin's same effect on damaged tissue will be necessary for clinical applications such as organ transplantation.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2005

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP) is a glycopeptide of 64 amino acid residues derived from the C-terminal of mammalian milk K-casein. Recently, human CMP (hCMP) was produced from the recombinant yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the antiobesity activity of the recombinant hCMP (rhCMP) was investigated in vivo using Sprague-Dawley rats. The rhCMP did not affect the rats fed with a normal fat diet (fat content, $5.0\%$), but decreased the body weight gain of the rats fed with a high fat diet (fat content, $20\%$) by up to $19\%$. Autopsies revealed that the weights of the liver, kidney and adipose tissues decreased when the rats were given the rhCMP, which also reduced the lipid concentrations in the plasma and liver, but enhanced the fecal excretion of lipids. These results suggest that rhCMP prevent the accumulation of lipid by stimulating its fecal excretion, so could be used as a food supplement to alleviate the obesity problem caused by a high fat diet.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.519-523
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• 2004

This study sought to investigate the ameliorating effects of a Korean medicinal herb (KMH) complex on the impacts of alcohol consumption in rat hepatocytes and in reducing the total cholesterol levels and the total lipid levels in the serum. We compared the body weight gain and ratio of the liver, the kidney to body weight, and also the serum biochemistry of the rats administered with both the alcohol and the KMH complex to the control rats treated with alcohol alone. The clinically important enzyme markers (Aspartate Aminotransferase, AST, and Alanine Aminotransferase, ALT) of rats, administered with both the alcohol and the KMH complex treatments, were compared with those in the control group. The treatment regimen (KMH complex) significantly reduced the serum AST and ALT levels, indicating the hepato-protective effects of the KMH complex. Furthermore, total cholesterol and total lipid levels were significantly reduced. These results indicate that the KMH complex may positively mediate the effects of alcohol on hepatocytes and the general liver functions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2009

Fish oil and shortening have been suggested to have opposite effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigated the effect of shortening and fish oil on CVD risk factors and aorta histopathology, and the association between risk factors and aorta histopathology. Male Wister rats (n=30) were fed an AIN-93G diet containing 20% fat in the form of fish oil, shortening, or soybean oil for 4 weeks. Total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TG), and C-reactive protein levels were significantly (P<0.001) lower in the fish oil than in soybean oil and shortening groups. HDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly different (P<0.001) between groups. In addition, LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly (P<0.001) lower in the fish oil and shortening groups than in the soybean oil group. Insulin and glucose concentrations did not differ among groups. Effect of dietary fat on tissue fatty acid composition significantly differed in abdominal fat and brain compared with RBC, heart, kidney and liver. The aortic wall was significantly (P=0.02) thinner in the fish oil group than in the soybean oil and shortening groups. The aortic wall thickness was positively correlated with TG and TC, but negatively with EPA + DHA levels of all tissues. These results suggested that fish oil had protective effects on aorta histopathology by hypolipidemic action in this rat model.